Ch. 3 Flashcards
neurons
fundamental units of the brain and nervous system
nucleus (neuron)
controls the entire neuron
dendrites ( neuron)
receives signals from other cells
cell membrane (neuron)
protects the cell
cell body (neuron)
keeps cell functional
axon (neuron)
transfers signals to other cells and organs
axon terminal (neuron)
forms junctions with other cells
neurotransmitter
chemical messenger of the nervous system
forebrain
largest part of brain
reticular formation (midbrain)
important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal,
alertness, and motor activity
substantia nigra (midbrain)
where dopamine is produced; involved in control of movement
ventral tegmental area (midbrain)
where dopamine is produced; associated with mood, reward, and addiction.
Medulla ( hindbrain)
automated processes like breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate
pons (hindbrain)
connects the brain and the spinal cord; involved in regulating brain activity during sleep
cerebellum (hindbrain)
balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills
cerebral cortex (forebrain)
consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language and memory
4 lobes of cerebral cortex
POFT: Partial lobe, occipital lobe, frontal lobe, temporal lobe
frontal lobe
motor control, emotion, and language
motor cortex ( frontal)
strip of cortex involved in planning and coordinating movement
prefrontal cortex (frontal)
higher-level cognitive functioning.
broca’s area (frontal)
Damage to Broca’s area leads to difficulties producing language, language production
Parietal lobe
processing various
sensory and perceptual
information
somatosensory cortex (paritel)
processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain
temporal lobe
hearing, memory, emotion and some aspects of language
auditory cortex (temporal)
processing auditory information
wernicke’s area (temporal)
speech comprehension, Damage to Wernicke’s area results in difficulty
understanding language
occipital lobe
visual processing
limbic system
emotion and memory circuit
amygdala (limbic)
emotion and tying emotional meaning to our memories, processing fear
hypothalamus (limbic)
body temperature,
appetite and blood pressure
thalamus (limbic)
relay center of the brain where most senses are routed for processing
cingulate cortex (limbic)
linking reward and punishment information
hippocampus (limbic)
memory and learning
Central nervous system (CNS)
brain and spinal cord
brain
left hemisphere VS right hemisphere, connected to spine
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
nerves
somatic (PNS)
-relays sensory and motor information to and from the CNS
autonomic (PNS)
controls our internal organs and glands
sympathetic ( autonomic)
dilates pupil, inhibits salivation, increases heart rate
parasympathetic (autonomic)
constricts pupil, stimulates salivation, slows heart rate
EEG
recording the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes on the scalp
PET
showing activity in different parts of the brain, injecting radioactive into the brain
MRI
magnetic fields used to produce a
picture of the tissue being imaged
FMRI
shows activity in the brain over
time
